Referring to the meeting held between the Chief Minister and the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) in Guwahati, wherein a number of issues were discussed, including the ongoing conflict between Tangkhul Nagas and Kukis in Ukhrul District, the Working Committee of Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) wondered how it is that such a discussion was taken up by the Chief Minister without any Tangkhul Naga representation in the talks.
A press release issued by the Working Committee of Tangkhul Naga Long stated that this is an inconsiderate and deliberate act on the part of the chief minister of the state to undermine the Tangkhul Nagas and a complete betrayal of the democratic framework of the state and the country.
It reminded me that a press release issued by the Government of Manipur on December 18, 2024, categorically dismissed the existence and legitimacy of an organization called the Kuki-Zo Council in Manipur.
Why then did the Office of the Chief Minister of Manipur request a meeting with the Chairman of the same group on March 17 and hold official consultation on March 21 in Guwahati? Is the CM openly endorsing an organization that the Government of Manipur, in December 2024, dismissed as an organization operating outside the legal and administrative framework, it asked?
On February 23 last, Kuki militants made clear their intentions of attacking Sinakeithei village by burning Sinakeithei’s Lungter area, a community-reserved forest. On the same day, innocent civilians from the village were shot at by Kuki militants while another farmer from the village was abducted.
Despite the village authority’s repeated appeals to the state government to bring about order in the village and to deal with the Kuki militants, only a handful of 30 Manipur Rifles personnel and a troop of the 4 Mahar Regiment were deployed there, it stated.
The people of Sinakeithei have been living in apprehension and fear since March 19, and yet Kuki militants have been allowed to run free and terrorize innocent civilians as the government has remained completely silent on the matter. This is a complete breakdown of law and order in the state. The concerned authority should intervene accordingly to restore order and punish the perpetrators, it stated.
While the state government had given verbal assurance to the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) to ensure free and safe passage along the NH-202—for which the TKS had called off their mass democratic procession—reports of Kuki militants demanding taxes from vehicles plying along the highway have come to light on March 22, it stated.
While the Kuki CSOs have exhaustively tried to tarnish the name of the NSCN-IM by alleging them of being involved in the ongoing violence, the Working Committee made it crystal clear that these are lies fabricated by the Kukis.
On the contrary, it has been the Kuki militants who have been openly involved in the violence since day one at Litan on February 8. The Tangkhul Nagas, have, on the other hand, been resisting the onslaught from the Kuki militants solely through the volunteers who have stood up to protect our rights and our ancestral lands, it stated.
The TNL demanded immediate intervention at Sinakeithei to stop Kuki militants from terrorizing innocent villagers and to take necessary action against the Kuki militants for violating the SoO agreement and deployment of ROP along the NH-202 from Litan to Mahadev and flushing out Kuki militants who are illegally extorting taxes from vehicles plying the route.
It also demanded booking of Kuki social media users and news pages who are speaking false narratives and inciting violence online under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and clarification on why the Chief Minister initiated and participated in talks with an unrecognized organization and held talks about the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki conflict without Tangkhul representation.
